U-Haul will soon make a big change to its employee policy in an effort to empower a "healthy workforce," that has previously ignited a debate on lawful
nicotine and tobacco rules.
The Phoenix, Arizona-based moving and storage company
announced Monday that it will soon be "the first major company in its field to decline job applicants who are nicotine users."
"The nicotine-free hiring policy will go into effect in 21 states on Feb. 1," U-Haul International said in
a press release. "The employment of Team Members hired prior to that date will not be impacted by the policy."
...
Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health, told ABC News that he finds the move by U-Haul to be a "terribly misguided" and that the decision overall is "hardly a progressive public health policy."
"In public health, we try to encourage people to engage in healthy behavior, but we do not punish them and stigmatize them when they don’t," he explained. "It punishes exactly the people who should be rewarded for having accomplished this difficult feat."
